There's something precious about a vanilla pod. Its long slender black stem, wrinkled and leathery, requires a careful knife and a delicate touch to slice in half and scrape out its tiny seeds. But our efforts are rewarded, as vanilla scraped from the pod adds the freshest, sweetest flavour and aroma to puddings like cheesecake and panna cotta, as well as some savoury dishes, too.

Vanilla is used frequently in puddings, and is a classic addition to crème brûlée. You can also find it in Geoffrey Smeddle's Eton mess recipe where it adds oomph to his meringue, and in Adam Gray's poached pears recipe where vanilla is added to the poaching liquid for a warm, fragrant infusion.

For those without the time, patience or funds for vanilla pods (the second most expensive spice in the world, after saffron), vanilla extract can be readily purchased as a liquid in bottles and makes a handy addition to sweets and biscuits. See how Adam Gray uses just a few drops of vanilla to add dimension to a traditional apple and blackberry crumble recipe.

Don't overlook vanilla in savoury recipes - it works surprisingly well with fish and seafood. A perfect example is Marcello Tully's sea bass recipe with coriander and vanilla sauce.

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